There have been numerous advancements in the wheelchair art in lightening the frames thereof and improving the balance characteristics and new electric locomotion systems. Even with these advances, the present art has not overcome one of the major difficulties facing a handicapped person who is confined to a wheelchair which is the fact that a seated person is simply not as tall as a standing person. This presents itself in something as simple as cooking in a kitchen with counters of standard height or reaching for articles in overhead cabinets. The problem is more accute in banks and stores; a person in a wheelchair is nearly eye level with the counter as compared to those standing, which makes carrying on business transactions more difficult and uncomfortable for the handicapped person. Also, as pointed out in U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,151 to Kielzcewski, there are significant advantages to lowering the ride height of a wheelchair such as being able to pick something up off the floor, playing with small children, picnicking, traversing rough terrain with an advantageously lower center of gravity, or to work in a garden. All of those activities require lowering the height of the chair. U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,723 to Dysarz discloses a wheelchair on stilts. However, for the Dysarz invention to be operated, an occupant would have to raise the chair and then if the occupant wanted to move down a counter or move in any direction, the occupant would have to lower the chair, make the move, and then re-elevate the chair. The Kielzcewski reference only refers to lowering the chair below a standard height. Applicant has overcome these difficulties by introducing a novel wheelchair that both lowers and raises the ride height, which is not in the prior art. Further, it allows restricted mobility in each of these configurations.
Applicant has overcome these difficulties by introducing an elevator wheelchair.